The Illustrious Client by Sandra de Helen
Marilyn, thank you so much for
hosting me today. I'd like to talk a bit about what inspired my latest book.
I'm currently flogging: The Illustrious Client.
My first mystery novel launched a
series about a private detective modeled on Sherlock Holmes.
Shirley Combs became interested
in A. Conan Doyle's books when she was just a kid because her name (said fast)
sounds like his protagonist. That led to her passion for solving whatever
seemed mysterious in her life. She became ultra-observant, and she found she could
actually deduce solutionsfor life's little mysteries around home. (Who ate the
last piece of that pie? Where do socks go when they go missing? How did that
burn hole get there?)
Shirley got serious about
becoming a private investigator after she met Dr. Mary Watson, a
naturopath, at a self-help forum.
They live in Portland, Oregon where the weather often matches that of
Sherlock's stomping grounds. But they also live in present day. Their first
documented case is The Hounding,
and deals with a suspicious death of a descendant of the original Baskervilles.
The Illustrious
Client was
inspired by The Adventure of the
Illustrious Client by Doyle. A friend hires Shirley and Mary to
try to pry a young woman from the grasp of a rich player. That player is an older
woman raised as a man in Afghanistan. The young woman is an international pop
star named Oceane Charles. This tale takes Shirley and Mary to France and back,
and has them inspecting every inch of a super yacht. Before long a murder
happens, and they must find the true killer after Oceane is accused of the
death.
All stories with Shirley and Mary
will be inspired by the adventures and tales of Sherlock Holmes, but will take
place in modern day. They are written in the style of the Holmes stories, and often
use Sherlock's methods. Many of my readers are Holmes fans, as I am. I hope
your readers will consider taking a peek. Amazon has the "Look
Inside" feature.
Both books are available in
paperback and eBook at bookstores and online. The Hounding is also
available as an audio book at Audible.com, Amazon,
and iTunes.
Book Two of the Shirley Combs and Dr. Mary Watson
series, THE ILLUSTRIOUS CLIENT,
shows us the private investigator and her sidekick sharing an office, and
introduces their receptionist, Lix. They are hired to influence a young
international pop star, Oceane Charles, to pry her away from her older, richer,
player of a girlfriend.
The cast is made up of people with various ethnicities
and backgrounds, and of course the job soon includes solving a murder mystery.
Along the way, Mary discovers her latent lesbianism.
Set in Portland, Oregon on
a super yacht, in a hospital VIP room, at Rose Festival, and other fun places.
Sandra de Helen’s books as well as short stories are
available at bookstores, libraries, and online. Her poetry and plays are
published in several journals. Samples of her works are on her website
SandradeHelen.com.
Even though she says she isn't a "joiner," de
Helen is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Oregon Writers Colony, the Golden
Crown Literary Society, and International Centre for Women Playwrights. Like
her at http://FaceBook.com/drmarywatson , follow her on Twitter @dehelen, and read her
blog at http://RedCrested.com/. She lives with her cat Stanton in Portland, Oregon
where they both type.
Other Links:
My website:
http://SandradeHelen.com
Buy links:
The Hounding:
http://www.amazon.com/Hounding-Shirley-Combs-Watson-
The Illustrious Client:
http://www.amazon.com/Illustrious-Client-Sandra-
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